RESCUE ME, MAYBE by Jackie Bouchard

Bringing home a pet is the definitive way to sign yourself up for a life of heartbreak. How many of us have experienced that? But on the flip side, there’s the unconditional love and joy pets give us; many times when we don’t deserve it. Their tails keep wagging, while their noses and bodies nudge into ours until we just have to give in, hug ’em and accept their wet kisses.

Jackie Bouchard has claimed her place as the contemporary women’s fiction author, who includes pets in her narrative. In no way do I write that disparagingly, it’s just that there’s always a dog on the cover, in the story and that’s what you expect when you pick up one of her books. And all I can say is lucky us, the readers, because we know we’re going to get one good doggone “tail” to read!

RESCUE ME, MAYBE (Lake Union) is a bit tough to take at the beginning. Jane’s husband passes away from cancer, as does her beagle, Barnum and every time the in-laws appear thinking their bringing her comfort it ends up more like nails on chalkboard.

Jane decides she’s leaving Philly and moving back to San Diego, but she doesn’t have a job, so she takes a temporary job at her family’s B&B in Arizona. It’s not ideal, not even something she enjoys, but perfect for a woman seeking solitude to mourn. While traveling to Arizona she stops and comes across a stray. Soon the dog is in her car, she’s naming it Maybe, but promising herself she’ll drop the dog off at a shelter when she gets to the B&B. We know where that storyline is going!

Jane cooks breakfast for B&B guests. The sign outside the kitchen specifically reads “stay out,” but some folks don’t seem to read. Jane’s kindness for pets doesn’t transfer to people who don’t obey signs and interrupt her peace while cooking and she tends to bark at them. In addition to cooking, Jane sends out resumes for jobs in San Diego and stays in touch with her friends.

She continues to believe going back to San Diego is going to heal her heart and solve her problems until she takes a brief trip back to the coast and realizes, you “really can’t go home.” But Jane is a real slow learner, so you’ll have to read RESCUE ME, MAYBE to find out if and how everything works out. FYI: Of course, there’s a really cute guy involved.